Mini Trek: Lukla to Pema Choling Monastery

We came upon some little Sherpa kids, all under the age of five, sitting
at the side of the road, looking after themselves and an infant. We played
with them for about 15 minutes, during which time we never saw an adult.
Oh, and did I mention that there was a giant cliff no more than 50 feet away?

Prayer flags line the village. Can you spot the monastery built into the
rocky cliff? It's right under the lower of the two lines of prayer flags.

The Sherpa lodge owners seem to know what Western
tourists want :)

Almost halfway to Pema Choling! Am I mistaken, or is this heaven?

Tibetan script covers a giant rock at the entrance to a farming village.
These beautiful carved and painted rocks dot the countryside in the
Khumbu (Everest) region where Tibetan Buddhism is widely practiced.

A little yak action! I haven't gotten to ride one YET, but my day will come.
After being nearly knocked off the trail into a 2,000 foot ravine by a passing
yak, I concluded that these guys aren't aware how wide they become when
loaded up with barrels and bags.

Yaks grazing. A typical Sherpa field.